Abstract:
Well defined, warfighter customer generated operational requirements are the
most significant determinants of successful military systems. If the warfighter
customers and the acquirers do a good job early of defining the operational
requirements, the warfighters will have a much higher likelihood of obtaining a
capable system that meets their needs in less time and at less cost.

The Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Program, a complex "system of systems"
satellite development effort, followed a different philosophy than was the norm
to define and refine operational requirements that meet the needs of the
warfighters. Drawing upon the management, systems engineering, and business
reforms called for by several national commissions over the last 15 years and
advocated by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, SBIRS followed three basic
principles to produce an effective and affordable JROC-validated set of
multimission operational requirements to satisfy several warfighter customers.
These principles included (1) close partnership between warfighter customers
(users, operators) and acquirers (military acquisition personnel and defense
contractors) throughout the requirements generation process with the warfighters
having the final decisions on operational requirements; (2) disciplined system
requirements and affordability analysis from a system of systems perspective,
using cost as an independent variable; and (3) streamlined business and
acquisition environment. The SBIRS Program applied these principles within the
basic existing Department of Defense acquisition framework.

The SBIRS Program effectively overcame potential roadblocks to producing an
effective warfighter-supported operational requirements document (ORD) in a
severely constrained environment of competing customer and fiscal requirements
priorities. The program accomplished this by providing structure, analysis
methods, and mechanisms that facilitated effective stakeholder communication,
mutual understanding, and consensus decision making at all levels.

Despite some limitations experienced at the working level, the basic SBIRS
approach to requirements generation was effective in achieving success for the
SBIRS Program. It is concluded that it was an improvement over the previous
methods for defining operational requirements on unclassified programs, thereby
better meeting the needs of the nation's warfighters. Furthermore, SBIRS appears
to provide a validation point for some of the reforms to the Defense Acquisition
System regarding requirements definition contained in the latest Department of
Defense (DOD) Directive 5000.1 and DOD Regulation 5000.2, dated 15 March 1996.
The SBIRS Requirements Generation process also appears to be a valid model for
other new systems, particularly complex ones with multiple missions and
warfighter customers. Therefore, the SBIRS Requirements Generation Process
should be studied for its suitability as a model for not only USAF system
programs, but joint service programs as well.